1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a mobile crusher device with a track-laying chassis, a frame supported on the track-laying chassis, on which a motor-operated crusher tool, for example, in the form of crusher plates arranged in pairs in a substantially upright arrangement and swinging against one another, and at least one drive apparatus for the crusher tool are provided, and with a conveyor belt for transporting the crushed material away, wherein the frame as a whole and with the devices supported thereon is pivotable about a horizontal axis which is parallel to the axes of the wheels of the track-laying chassis. Moreover, the invention relates to a method for transporting such a crusher device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a mobile crusher device is known from European patent application 0 923 991 A1. The pivotability of the frame relative to the track-laying chassis in this device is provided in order to lift the frame and to make accessible the high-stress machine parts of the crusher device subjected to considerable wear, for example, the conveyor belt, directly from below to the mounting and service personnel. The mounting and service labor can therefore be carried out with considerable time savings in comparison to known devices.
Mobile crusher devices with track-laying chassis are extremely large and heavy. At the respective site of use, they are movable by their track-laying chassis. However, these track-laying chassis are not suitable for transportation on roads. Crusher devices of this kind are therefore conventionally transported within public traffic areas on low-bed semitrailer trucks with special permits and accompanied by escort vehicles. Such a transportation stresses the traffic areas not only by the enormous weight of the crusher device itself but also by the great weight of the low-bed semitrailer trucks that are being used.
In European patent application 0 547 440 B1 measures have already been proposed to configure a crusher device with a track-laying chassis such that it can be transported in public traffic areas without low-bed semitrailer trucks. For this purpose, on opposite sides of the frame, relative to the track-laying chassis, a feed hopper for the material to be crushed is pivotably arranged by means of a first piston-cylinder unit and, opposite thereto, a pivotable frame for the conveyor belt is pivotably arranged by means of a second piston-cylinder unit. A kingpin of a semitrailer coupling is provided on the underside of the pivotable feed hopper, and bearing plates for connecting a trolley are arranged on the underside of the pivotable frame for the conveyor belt. By lowering the pivotable frame for the conveyor belt, a trolley having preferably three axles can be connected to the bearing plates. Subsequently, the kingpin is lowered by pivoting the feed hopper onto the semitrailer coupling of a semitrailer tractor and inserted into it. By further loading the two aforementioned piston-cylinder units, the central part of the mobile crusher device is lifted so that the track-laying chassis is positioned above the ground. Now the crusher device can be transported like a semitrailer truck.
Even though this type of transportation of the crusher device provides a significant improvement in comparison to the transportation of the known crusher devices by means of a low-bed semitrailer truck, the configuration of the feed hopper and of the frame of the conveyor belt so as to be pivotable by piston-cylinder units, requiring that these parts must be designed to be correspondingly strong, results in a considerable construction expenditure.
It is an object of the present invention to allow the mobile crusher device to be transported like a semitrailer truck and to provide, in comparison to the crusher device of European patent application 0 547 440 B1, a simplified configuration.
In accordance with the present invention, this is achieved for a crusher device of the aforementioned kind in that on the frame, on opposite sides of the frame relative to the track-laying chassis, a kingpin of a semitrailer coupling, respectively, a support member of a kingpin is arranged on one side and a device, preferably in the form of bearing plates, for fastening a trolley, is arranged on the other side. The method according to the invention is characterized in that: in a first step, the piston-cylinder unit is moved somewhat relative to the completely retracted initial position wherein a fastening device for fastening a trolley, positioned on the side of the frame opposite the piston cylinder unit relative to the track-laying chassis and formed preferably by bearing plates, is lowered, and a trolley is connected to this device; in a further step, the piston-cylinder unit is extended farther, wherein the part of the track-laying chassis adjacent to the trolley is lifted and, at the same time, a kingpin of a semitrailer coupling, located at the same side of the frame as the piston-cylinder unit relative to the track-laying chassis, is lifted; and, in a further step, the semitrailer tractor is moved underneath the kingpin and the piston-cylinder unit is again retracted so that the track-laying chassis is completely lifted off the ground.
The principle of the invention thus resides in that it is possible, by means of the measures according to the invention, to realize a transportation in the way of a semitrailer truck for a pivotable configuration of the frame with the advantages mentioned in European patent application 0 923 911 A1, but without having to provide further pivotable parts of the kind disclosed in European patent application 0 547 440 B1. Accordingly, smaller and more lightweight crusher devices than those described in European patent application 0 547 440 B1 can be produced in an inexpensive way so as to be transportable like a semitrailer truck, and there is still a considerable simplification provided relative to the transportation on a low-bed semitrailer truck. For example, the crusher device according to the invention can have a weight in the area of approximately 30 metric tons.
Preferably, the kingpin is supported by a kingpin support member which is pivotably connected by bearing plates to the frame. The kingpin support member is supported by one or more links in its working position during transportation. During operation of the crusher device at the respective site of use, the links can be removed and the kingpin support member can be tilted upwardly and placed against the frame so that the space requirement of the crusher device is reduced.
A crusher device with a track-laying chassis, which can be transported by means of a trolley and a semitrailer tractor on public traffic areas, is already known from WO 99/49976. Piston-cylinder units are provided for lifting the crusher device. As a result, a trolley can be moved underneath the crusher device and can be connected to the crusher device by means of bearing plates. On the side opposite the track-laying chassis a kingpin of a semitrailer coupling is provided which is connected with the coupling plate of the semitrailer coupling of a semitrailer tractor. A disadvantage of this device is that, after lifting of the crusher device by means of the piston-cylinder units, the crusher device is no longer movable. Accordingly, the trolley must be moved. However, especially in the case of uneven and unpaved surfaces, as is usually the case at locations of use of such crusher devices, this is not easily possible. Moreover, after moving the trolley under the crusher device, the height of the bearing plates must be adjusted by a corresponding adjustment of the piston-cylinder units in order to make possible the connection with the trolley. The process of coupling the trolley to the crusher device is thus relatively complicated, and additional piston-cylinder units are required for lifting the crusher device.